Life on the Back Burner
by Oh-no-she-di'ent
Summary: What happens when Luke gets a little too busy for our favorite Stars Hollow Mom?  Well, she shows her deep understanding, of COURSE.  Story's finished.  For mature audiences.


_**Okay, working on four stories at the same time is so much easier than just one. If I get stuck on one, I just hop on over to the next. Very appealing. Can't say I'll ever do it again, though. It's been too long. Decided on a hot night in July to start making up for it. Hope you all like this one & feel free to check out the other three. They're all complete. All of them are AU. You'll see that I took creative liberties with relationships and things, but what's new about that? :) Disclaimer: I love the characters; I don't own 'em.**_

Rated M. Enjoy this.

**Life on the Back Burner**

"Hey girls!"

Lorelai looked over toward Babette's and waved hello. "Howdy, Neighbor!" she greeted with a smile.

Rory rushed down the porch steps with two snack-sized bags of Lay's potato chips. She caught up to her mom and passed her one. They both continued over to the jeep. "Hey Babette!" she followed seconds later. "Getting ready to do some gardening, huh?"

She waved her worn gardening gloves in the air. "Yeah, Doll. Gonna go on 'round and tend to my pepper plants. Morey's itching for a taste of Mexico tonight so I'm gonna pull a few and whip up some chipotle sauce."

"Hm. Sounds pretty hot," Lorelai quipped with a nudge to Rory's arm. "Get it? _Hot_…"

Rory popped a chip in her mouth. "Good one, Mom."

She chuckled at her own wit then yelled over to Babette, "May have to bum an invite if tacos are gonna be on the menu!"

Babette waved obligingly as she pulled mail from the small box on her porch. "Oh yeah, having a Mexican feast without the tacos would be downright insulting!" She flipped through some envelopes. "Stop by anytime tonight. Be glad to have ya."

Lorelai turned to Rory with a grin. "You hear that, Honey? Mommy found you a home cooked meal. Now, who's the best provider in the world?" she cajoled.

"Well, the roof over my head and clothes on my back had you neck and neck with Time Warner, but with that plate of tacos, I dunno…you just may pull ahead."

"I'm beating out cable TV?" she squealed excitedly.

"Maybe."

"I'm so in there!"

"See you later, Babette," Rory yelled over.

"You girls headed into town?"

"Yeah," answered Lorelai. "We're going to the craft store to get some sidewalk chalk. Figured it's a good day to do a little hop scotching."

"Sounds fun!"

"Yeah, according to Mom, the game doesn't have an age limit. We'll let the stares be our judge," Rory relayed before climbing inside.

Lorelai shrugged toward her neighbor. "Rory's feeling a little self-conscious in that eighteen year old body of hers. I keep telling her that this is the _time_ to get loose! Before everything else on her body beats her to it."

Babette chuckled. "Where you guys gonna hop the scotch? You don't have a driveway," she pointed out.

Lorelai dismissed the minor detail. "The diner's just as good a place as any."

"You can't mean Luke's!"

She smiled brightly. "The one and only." She opened her door. "You're welcome to come and watch the fireworks."

Rory chortled in the background. Luke's explosion would certainly be better than the fourth of July in her mom's eyes.

Babette declined with laughter. "I'm gonna sit this out, Honey. But if you can sneak a few pictures in, be sure to bring 'em when you come by."

Lorelai climbed in behind the wheel. "I've got you covered!" she yelled over.

All exchanged waves before Lorelai closed her door and prepared for departure.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Lorelai pulled up a short ways from the diner and grabbed the bag with her purchase. She got out and met Rory on the sidewalk.

"You know, I'm not sure I even remember how to make a hopscotch board," she said to Rory.

Rory smiled. "Well, we'll figure it out somehow," she appeased. "I hope you aren't backing out on me, Gilmore. Not after you all but twisted my arm to get me to do this."

"Don't worry, backing out isn't my style. I'm in this all the way. With any luck, people will see how much fun we're having and want to join in. Then, you know what that'd make us?"

"Nothing positive comes to mind."

Lorelai grinned. "It'd make us trendsetters. Bada boom, we got ourselves an improvised town event."

"And it'd make Taylor our newest and greatest enemy. I'm sure he'd be livid, especially since his business is right there," she said with a point. "He'll have a front row seat." She pointed out _Doose's_ market, which was next door to _Luke's_.

Lorelai glanced over and caught sight of Luke standing just outside of the diner's door.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" she mocked quietly to Rory.

Rory looked over. "Looks like Luke…in a private conversation."

"With a woman," Lorelai added conspiratorially.

Rory nodded while still looking. "That would most certainly be a person of female persuasion," she added distractedly. "She's really um…" She looked at her mom. "Vava voom, isn't she?"

Lorelai met Rory's eyes. "You think so?" she asked, not convinced. She looked back over. "I mean she's pretty but she's not…Jessica Rabbit or anything."

"Well, no." Rory rolled her eyes. "Jessica Rabbit is the impractical manifestation of some male mind. But still, that lady's not your average Joe….ann," she corrected seconds later, while pointing to the tall redhead who conversed with Luke.

Lorelai chose to move past the subject of the woman's physical attributes. "Wonder what they're talking about."

Rory shrugged. "Maybe she's his new bread supplier." She smiled. "If Luke was looking for more inspiration to get up for those early morning deliveries, I bet she solved _that_ problem."

Lorelai hit her arm lightly. "Stop kidding around."

Rory looked baffled. "But…kidding around is what we do. You want me to stop breathing, too?"

They approached Luke and the woman, and both Gilmores smiled at them.

"Afternoon," Lorelai greeted.

Luke looked surprised. He got twitchy. "Hey, Lorelai." He looked just past her. "Rory."

Rory waved and let her mom have the floor. She was sure that Lorelai would make it plenty awkward for everyone, and they'd be headed inside soon enough.

"Hey. I'm Lorelai Gilmore. Just a customer and occasional nuisance to the man in charge," she said with soft chuckles.

The lady smiled. "Sara Clayton," she contributed kindly. "Nice to meet you."

Lorelai nodded. Wanted to ask her who the hell Sara Clayton was but refrained. She looked to Luke. "Guess we'll just mosey on along inside here," she said playfully creeping her way between them. They stepped back a few inches.

"Okay," said Luke. "I'll be in in a sec."

Lorelai smiled. "Take your time. No rush."

Luke nodded and started back talking to Sara in the very next moment.

Lorelai narrowed her eyes with displeasure then stuck her tongue out at him.

"That'll teach him," Rory whispered to her as she pushed her through the doorway.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Lorelai hurried from her jeep and nearly tiptoed down the sidewalk. She carried a bag in her hand, and when she made it to the steps of the diner, she dropped it at her feet, and got on her knees.

She pulled chalk out and pressed the end to the bumpy cement. She drew a box, then another, then another. Her eyes wide, she looked and felt maniacal with the pink chalk gripped between her fingers. She backed up on her jeans-covered knees and made room for all the boxes she drew.

A shadow suddenly blocked the best part of the light that guided her, the one that shone through the diner's windows.

"What the hell?" she heard Luke's muffled voice call out from inside. He opened the door and stood over the threshold with his mouth open in shock. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked her directly.

Lorelai stopped. Luke's shadow was now blocking all light that fell to her artwork.

"What does it look like? I'm drawing," she answered.

"I can see that! Why are you doing it in front of my diner?"

She shrugged. "What can I say? When my muse strikes, I gotta strike with it."

He allowed the door to close as he descended the stairs and moved away from the light to see what she'd drawn. "Is this a _game_?"

Lorelai grinned. "The best."

Luke sighed and grasped her elbow, helping her to stand. She got to her feet and brushed her knees off. "Lorelai, pack this stuff up and go home. I'm sure the muse will understand the need for you to come back during a more respectable hour." He leaned down and tossed the chalk in the bag.

"But…"

He stood up again and sighed as he passed her the bag. "But what?"

She crossed her arms. "The fireworks. I didn't get to see the fireworks."

"Fireworks? What fireworks? Jeez, Lorelai, I hope you're not losing it. I'm too tired right now to deal with 'losing it'," he pleaded with her.

"It's just that earlier I was gonna come and…but the _whole time I was here_, you were all…so I didn't get to…and I missed out on all the fireworks, and Babette wanted pictures, and I promised Rory innovation, and the entire afternoon was a bust!"

He stared at her with a blank look. "So…earlier you came here…for fireworks…?"

"And pictures."

"Oh, of course. _And_ pictures." He rolled his eyes. "But you didn't get that…" he gathered.

"No," she said with an exaggerated pout.

"Instead, you got…?" he asked, losing some of his patience.

"Burgers and fries." She was met with the same blank look as before. Her eyes went narrow, and she poked him in the chest with her finger. "And you and Jessica fraternizing on my canvas!"

"Lorelai, what the hell are you _talking_ about?" he finally exclaimed.

"Oh no, no, no, Buddy. Don't you even try to make it up to me now. This day has officially been fireworks-less. Let it be written."

Luke tossed his head back and held his hands out in a 'why me' gesture.

She went on. "I even tried to come back out here and give you an opportunity for redemption, but all I'm getting is an aberrant response of 'come back tomorrow'," she stated. "_Gee, Lorelai, I'm a little busy right now. Why don't you come back tomorrow and vandalize my property_! Forget Carmen San Diego; 'Where in the World' is _Luke Danes_?"

"Guess you really are losing it," he commented evenly.

She pointed at him again. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but whatever it is, it's making you peaceful and tolerant, and _I_ don't like it."

He stared at her. "Well, I'm feeling plenty right now, and I can promise you that peaceful and tolerant are nowhere near _any_ of it," he stressed.

Lorelai observed him for a few seconds before smiling indulgently. "And you're not just saying that because I sense a disturbance in the force?" she asked with happiness.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Go home, Lorelai." He turned to go inside.

"You owe me some fireworks!" she called after him.

He didn't turn. "And you owe me a psychiatric ward release form. Show me yours, and I'll show you mine."

Lorelai smiled hard at his shaking head. He mumbled his way back into the diner.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

The day was the rainiest in recent weeks.

Lorelai watched Rory make a run for it to the jeep. She was on her way to the library. When she made it in the car safely, Lorelai blew her a kiss and headed back inside the crapshack.

She flipped on the television and turned it up loud enough to be heard in the whole house. She went into the kitchen, then. Opened the refrigerator and frowned. There was food there, but nothing she saw was worthy of being a commendable rainy day feast.

With a turn and a gleeful skip, she made it to the phone. She dialed the diner and put the phone to her ear. While waiting for an answer, she sat on the arm of the couch and proceeded to slide her bottom down until she fell to the couch cushions on her back.

"Luke's."

"Hey, Luke. It's Lorelai. And I'm hungry. Do you deliver?"

"Jeez, why are you playing on the phone, Lorelai? You know I don't deliver. _Five dollars, fifty-seven cents' your change_," he ended, speaking to a customer.

"I guess I do know that," she agreed sadly. "But do you mind starting? I'm so hungry."

"Well, come to the diner," he suggested in annoyance.

"It's raining."

"I can see that."

"And thundering."

"Guess that's your way of saying it's not an option."

"And Rory has the car anyway, so that's the cherry."

"Well, I don't know what to tell you." He spoke to another customer then came back to her. "Maybe you can hit whatever speed dial I know you have and get Joe on the line. Get a pizza."

"I have pizza in the fridge. Besides, that's what I ate during the really windy day that trapped me inside, so it's time to move on to something else. I have to keep it interesting."

"Why would a windy day trap you inside?"

"Wind can't be trusted, Luke. It blows my hair; it blows my skirt. If I had some things in proportion, I bet it'd take care of that too."

"Jeez."

"So, what's it gonna be? Are you gonna feed me or let me die?"

"Way to be dramatic," he deadpanned.

She smiled. "Can you take fifteen minutes out of your day to come feed your best customer?"

"I don't have a best customer. And if I did, I doubt it'd be somebody who drinks up half of my coffee supply using a free refills policy."

"Now who's being dramatic? I'd say worst case scenario is a third at most."

"I gotta go."

"So, no delivery?" she whined.

"Should be no. Will be from now on, for future reference. But about thirty minutes from now, I'll be passing by there anyway so I can bring you something this one time. Burger okay?"

"It's perfect…"

"Good. Talk to ya later."

"What does…passing by here mean? Where you going?"

"Lorelai, I have to go. See you in an hour."

"But-"

Click.

Lorelai looked at the phone sadly. "But you said thirty minutes…"

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

The doorbell sounded, and Lorelai jumped up from the couch. She rushed over to the door and opened it. "Man, Luke, what took you so long? I talked to you almost two hours ago!" She wiggled her fingers anxiously toward the extra large diner bag. "I'm starving here."

He passed it to her and she thanked him. Held the bag close to her nose and took a satisfying whiff. "Ah, heaven!" she extolled.

Luke smiled. "Sorry it took so long," he apologized. He turned to leave. "I stuck a cup of coffee in there too, so be careful with that."

She nodded with a goofy grin. "You're the best."

He tossed up a hand as he walked toward the steps. "Yeah, yeah. That's what all the girls say when I give 'em my best brew."

She laughed. "Hey, you don't have to leave so fast, you know. You can come in for a while. I have tea and a tube. I know you're not big on TV, but I know you're a sucker for some English Breakfast."

He moved back under the porch cover to shield himself from the rain. "Nah, gotta get going." He pointed back to his truck, and Lorelai looked over to find a passenger in his truck.

"Oh. Didn't know you had…"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Sara Clayton, right?"

His hands went in his pockets. "Yeah."

She looked back to him. "Is she just going along for the ride or…?"

"I'm, uh, taking her home."

Lorelai watched his discomfort and she wished that she didn't share so much of it. She smiled in jest. "Well, you can both come in if you want. Plenty of English Breakfast to go around. I may treat my coffee like a blood diamond but tea I'll give away like condoms at a first year college orientation."

He rolled his eyes but still smiled.

Lorelai clutched her bag and gave him a warm smile in return. "But seriously, you're both welcome to come in. If only to get out of the rain for a little bit."

He shook his head regretfully. "Nah. Thanks, though." He started moving down the steps again, and he pointed to her bag. "Enjoy that, okay?"

He didn't wait for an answer. He quickly descended the stairs and jogged to his truck while ducking from the rain.

Lorelai watched as he extended his hand across the back of the seat in order to back out of the driveway. All the way to Sara Clayton's side. The truck left her yard in no time.

She turned and went back inside, suddenly thinking only about the extended wait time on her food delivery.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Lorelai walked inside of the diner and saw Luke standing over a table collecting plates.

She rushed over to him. "Luke!" she exclaimed accusingly.

He looked up immediately. "What? What's wrong?"

"_What's_ _wrong_?" she asked like the question was the craziest she'd ever heard.

He went from looking concerned to frowning at the crazed woman drawing attention to him and her, both. "_Yes_. What's wrong?" he repeated in an attempt to get her back on the path of sanity.

Her hands went to her hips. "What happened to you coming over to my house?"

"Excuse me?"

"You were supposed to come over and help me with the bathroom wall!"

Lorelai's jaw dropped when she saw him actually stop to think about it. Finally, after many seconds that she found unacceptable, he closed his eyes and exhaled a mild expletive that showed he had screwed up.

"The painting," he uttered in remembrance.

"Yes, the painting!" Lorelai followed, still with displeasure. "I can't believe you forgot!"

He finished collecting the dishes. "I'm sorry. I just got back in here, and I've just been all over the place. It…slipped my mind." He looked at her once he made it behind the counter. She had followed him over. "Did you get some of it done? I can probably swing by in about an hour and finish up."

Her eyes widened. "How was I supposed to get any of it done, Luke? You said you'd bring the paint," she reminded.

That memory kicked in late as well. "Oh, yeah," he recalled casually.

"I can see you're in the midst of a 50 First Dates kind of day." She shook her head. "What do you mean you just got back?" she asked.

He gestured dismissively toward the door. "I was out."

"Doing _what_?" she asked intrusively.

"Does it matter?" he snarled.

"Do you seriously think you have the right to get defensive? You stood _me_ up, remember? If either one of us has the rights to a hissy fit, it sure as hell isn't you!"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm sorry I forgot. I'll try to do it later."

Lorelai looked at her watch. "Well, I have to leave for the inn right now. Gonna meet with a contractor, but it shouldn't be any more than half an hour. What's later?"

Luke started on a new pot of coffee. "An hour."

She gave him a look of doubt. "An hour?"

"An hour," he said again.

She released a long sigh. Still seemed extremely doubtful, but he was someone who she could always count on in the past, and it'd take a lot more to undo that reliance. "Okay, an hour. I should be back home by then, so _call_ me if that changes." She calmed herself some more. "I need to get this done fast because the sooner it's finished, the sooner my aroma therapy soaks can work to its full potential. I can't live zen and avoid flipping out on some unsuspecting crew member without my Buxton blue, Luke. It just can't happen."

"Yeah, I remember."

"Well, no, you kinda didn't remember. Which is why we're having this conversation," she relayed.

He cut his eyes at her. "Well, I'll remember this time," he restated dryly.

Deep breath. "Okay, I can live with that." She laid her hand on the counter toward him. "Thanks for helping me out with this, by the way."

He regarded her. "Oh, am I doing you a favor?" he asked smartly. "It's so hard to tell with the way you're jumping down my throat here."

"Well." She shrugged unapologetically. "You make a promise, you stick to the promise. You don't forget about the promise. Promises are serious business." She asked him quickly, "Can you grab me a cup of coffee to go, please? Gotta get going."

He proceeded to do that. "Promises are serious business, huh?"

"Of course."

"Forgetting about a promise is almost unforgiveable, you'd say?"

She nodded firmly. "Major potential for ending up in the doghouse."

"So, if somebody promises to paint something, they should remember that promise."

"Absolutely." She took her cup from him and took a sip. "A painting appointment is a pretty big appointment to break, too. You're lucky I'm such a merciful person."

He leaned on the counter and met her eyes. "Remind me now because I forget." He pretended to look unsure. "Which one of us was the _first_ to flake out on a painting engagement?"

Lorelai, stuck for anything to say, just watched as his features comically contorted in thought. He continued to grow amused by her subjugated silenced. He waved her forward. "Help me out here," he requested.

She pushed his hand away. "Okay, point made."

He backed away. "Thank you."

She pulled out a dollar and paid him. "Okay, Mr. Monkey See, Monkey Do, I'll see you at four."

Luke nodded as she turned to go. "Four-_ish_, it is."

She turned back. "Four. You said an hour!"

He smiled. "You really need to hurry up and get goin' on those aroma therapy baths."

She pointed at him. "Four, Mister."

"Alright."

The phone rang. Luke went to answer just after returning Lorelai's goodbye wave.

"_Luke's_." He listened for a few seconds then covered the mouthpiece. "Lorelai!" he called just before the door closed. She looked at him through the glass then came back inside. He hung up. Gave her a look of apology.

Lorelai let out a fake sob. "Luke, no!" she whined.

He ran his hand over his hat. "What are you doing at six?"

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Lorelai dropped her paintbrush in the pan and sat on the edge of the tub. She folded her arms peevishly.

"What's with you?" Luke asked, barely acknowledging her as he continued to paint.

She tossed eye daggers to both him and his work. "You're going too fast," she stated with a childish anger.

He stopped, stared at the wall for seconds, and then slowly turned to her like he was hoping to find her being a goofball like usual. She couldn't possibly be serious. He found her with an expression that said she was. "I'm _what_?"

She tossed a hand up to where he painted. "You're rushing! You're speeding through this like you're ready to go, and you're doing a crappy job in the process."

He turned back and studied his work. There was nothing at all wrong with it. "What are you talking about? I'm working at a normal pace." He grew wary. "And my work is fine."

"I disagree."

"Jeez, what is your problem?" He didn't leave time for her to answer the question. "Come on, get up and let's finish this."

"See! You're rushing!"

"I'm trying to finish this up! That's not _rushing_. It's called time management," he protested.

Lorelai stood up quickly from the tub and gaped at the floor near his feet. "And now you're dripping paint on the floor!" She exhaled loudly and sat back on the tub. "You're painting horribly because you're in such a hurry to leave, and now you're messing up the floor. Wonderful."

Luke waved his finger in her direction and then pointed down when she climbed out of her pity party long enough to take notice. "See this? This thing on the floor? This thing that looks and feels like a _plastic_? This thing that was put down on the floor to prevent spills to the precious tile? It's still there, Lorelai. It's doing its job, catching any drops of paint that tries to liberate itself from this paintbrush in my hand." He ended with a solid and even request. "Now, _relax_."

She dropped her head. "I know I'm being really ungrateful, and I'm sorry. I appreciate you helping me with this, Luke."

He nodded. "It's fine. I know it's been a long day," he said in understanding. "And my putting off the painting fifty times probably didn't help," he ended lightly.

"Well, at least you're here. You've been busy lately, and I just don't wanna feel like I'm keeping you from something. Probably feeling a little oversensitive. Which is stupid," she ended with embarrassment. She smiled. "Forgive me?"

Luke waved her away. "Don't worry about it." He pointed to the pan with her brush. "Now, grab that brush and help me paint so I can go."

Lorelai gasped.

Luke shrugged. "What?" He turned back to the wall and started moving his brush. "I have to be somewhere," he revealed as if it was common knowledge.

"It's eight o'clock at night. Where do you have to be now?"

"Not now. Later," he corrected.

"Even worse!"

"I don't see how we got to the first level of _bad_. How'd we make it to _worse_?" he asked.

"I can't believe you're blowing me off."

"Lorelai, I'm here right now, helping you to paint. Tell me how I'm blowing you off."

She stood up and grabbed her paintbrush. "Let's just finish this up, so you can be on your way."

"Why are you mad?"

"You're making me feel like a charity case."

"By doing what?"

She started to paint but paused as she asked, "Do you have to get back to work? Are you short tonight?" She hadn't even made sure to see if he was busy with work. She'd just assumed he wasn't.

His tone still questioned her. "Nah, it's covered."

She started painting again. Shook her head at how accurate she was. "See. Big, fat, stinking charity case."

Luke scoffed. Tossed his free hand up. "What, you want me to leave?"

"No."

"So, you want me stay then?"

"No."

"_No_?"

She looked at him. "I want you to stay but only as _punishment_ for wanting to leave," she ended with her most vindictive voice.

"Oh, jeez," he said while rolling his eyes away.

She pointed at him with her brush. "_But_ I know you have to go because you have some kind of covert affair to attend to, so we can finish this up quickly so you can take off. I'll be adult."

"How big of you," he muttered.

They both painted in silence for a few seconds. Lorelai took a moment to let him know, "I'm still mad at you, though."

"I'd be surprised if you weren't."

"Just for the record."

"Alright."

Another brief silence. "Luke?"

"Yeah?"

She stepped back a bit and admired the wall. "Is this starting to look more and more like a hospital wall to you?"

Luke shook his head signifying no comment. He kept painting.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

The town's annual potluck was underway.

Lorelai walked through the square with Sookie, Jackson, and Rory.

She stopped suddenly. "Look, look," she began with enthusiasm. "He's circling them! I think he's going in!"

Everybody turned to the endlessly long table filled with food. They all zoomed in on Kirk and the large dish of spicy beans that he stood near.

"No, I think this is a false alert…" Jackson said with uncertainty.

"Yeah, I do too," contributed Rory. "I refuse to believe that he learned _nothing_ from last year."

"I don't know. I think Lorelai may be right, guys. He looks like he's closing in."

"Yes, yes, my pretty!" wheedled Lorelai quietly like an evil witch. "Just a little closer. Smell the aroma…feel the heat…now, scoop. _Scoop_! Scoop like you've never scooped before!"

Rory gasped. "Oh, my god! He's lifting the ladle! Tell me I'm seeing things!"

Lorelai rubbed her hands together, focused her greedy eyes, and added to it a Grinch-like smile. "Be sure to pile them high, my friend. Leave nothing to chance."

Jackson turned. "I can't watch this!"

Lorelai's lips turned up high at the corners. She refused to blink. "Little more…little more…"

"Jackson, I'm with you," Rory said as she turned the other way, too.

Sookie stood frozen beside her friend. "I can't…turn away. I can't…"

"Don't fight it, Sookie."

Kirk took a deep breath and lifted the ladle from the steaming beans. He brought his plate closer. Lorelai looked dangerously pleased.

Taylor swooped in and stole the smile from her face. Yanked away all of her joy.

"Nooooo!"

Sookie tapped her husband. "Honey, you can look now."

Both Jackson and Rory turned back. Rory laughed when she saw Taylor snatching away the ladle and wagging his finger at a cowering Kirk. "Sorry, Mom."

Jackson shook his head. "No way was Taylor going to let that catastrophe happen again." He pointed out towards the table. "Somebody tell me why he went for the same dish of beans that last year burned his throat so bad, he ended up knocking the Redmans' Yorkie out of the way and gulping down her bowl of Evian."

"And let's not forget the bite of revenge to Kirk's left cheek that made him jump up, toss the metal bowl in the air and hit Mayor Porter's wife in the back of the neck."

Rory finished with a sad shake of her head. "She fell forward, her dress flew up, and everybody got to know Mrs. Porter just a little bit more intimately that day."

Lorelai waved her fist. "Damn you, Taylor Doose! Damn you and your meddlesome tendencies!"

Rory patted her back. "It's for the good of the town, Mom. We can't have seventy-year-old women at the mercy of Kirk's bean obsession every year."

Sookie sighed. "Let's keep walking. Maybe somebody else will do something just as entertaining, and it'll bring back that disturbing level of happiness for you, Lorelai."

They all followed Lorelai's lead and began walking again. "Oh, Sook," she began. "I doubt it. Kirk is supposed to deliver. No one else does it quite as well."

Jackson spoke up. "Look over there. The Banyan Boys are getting awfully close to Gypsy with those water balloons," he announced.

Sookie giggled and took in the scene. "Brave little hooligans, aren't they?"

Lorelai looked over sadly. "Aw, it's a no-go. Gypsy will turn just in time, say something to bring fear to their little coal hearts, and they'll race away like something out of the Thriller video is on their tails."

She looked away at the same time that Sookie, Jackson, and Rory all focused intently. Within seconds, Gypsy turned and mouthed something that made the boys freeze. Sure enough, they dropped the balloons and took off running.

"Wow," muttered Jackson.

"Nice call," said Sookie.

"Everything's a letdown today," Lorelai said in a funk.

"_Except_ for the food, of course!" Sookie chimed in ominously. She'd contributed more than half the dishes to the magnificent spread, and she treated every creation of hers like something she'd birthed.

"The food totally doesn't count," Lorelai reassured immediately. "What do you think all this walking is for? Gotta walk until I'm hungry again. Today's all about seconds, thirds, and leftovers for a week." She looked over at Rory. "We've got the Tupperware, right, Hon?"

Rory tugged on the strap of the large, droopy bag she carried. "It's in here."

"Good. Hopefully, we've got one to spare because we're gonna get those beans to Kirk."

"You're awful," laughed Sookie.

"I'm just a good friend, is all. If my buddy wants beans, I'm gonna get him beans."

"Well, maybe he'll have water at his side this time," Jackson contributed thoughtfully.

Lorelai nearly guffawed. "Not if I have anything to do with it!"

"Who needs enemies when you've got Lorelai Gilmore in your life?" Rory followed with a shake of her head, causing Lorelai to smile. "Hey, Mom, there's Luke," she said, directing attention towards the diner.

Lorelai had gone by earlier to find the diner closed. It wasn't a big deal since _Luke's_ rarely stayed open on this day of the year anyway. But she called to annoy him into coming down to join the group, and he wasn't home. Didn't get an answer on the diner phone or his home phone.

Lorelai stretched her neck to see into the distance. "Is he alone?"

"Why wouldn't he be?" asked Sookie.

"He's rarely seen without his companion these days. At least according to Mom."

Lorelai saw him exit his truck and finally gave Sookie her attention when she didn't see the passenger side door open. "Well, it's true. Rory's met her. Her name is Sara Clayton, I think."

"You mean you _know_," Rory corrected. "You mention her name every chance you get."

"Only when we're discussing Luke and how irresponsible he's been lately," she defended. "He's been completely flaking on me. The other day, he was late opening the diner. I told you about that, didn't I?" she asked.

"You did. You didn't say why, though," Sookie recalled. She went into thought. "Sara Clayton…why does that name sound so familiar?"

"She told _me_ why. It was the first thing I heard when I walked in the house after school," Rory volunteered.

Lorelai spoke to Sookie. "She's embellishing. Something her grandmother does with dazzling grace. But I told her that he was late because he was out. Undoubtedly with her. I, along with like one hundred other people-"

"And who did I get that embellishing thing from again?"

"-was waiting out front. We saw him pull up in yesterday's clothes, get out of the truck, and drunkenly move to unlock the diner."

Sookie gasped.

Rory rolled her eyes. "He was not drunk. He was tired. You said he was tired."

"Whatever. Point is, he looked like he'd just stumbled in from a frat party. He offered lame apologies to everybody, opened the door, and just told us to just like…_chill_ while he ran up to shower and change."

Jackson had been listening quietly. He seemed doubtful. "That doesn't sound like Luke."

"Well, it was!" she assured. "I was shocked, too. When he came back down about ten minutes later, he was vague as ever. Just kept saying he had something to do like it wasn't a big deal."

"Maybe it wasn't."

"It was, Sookie. He was over an hour late opening his diner. When has that ever been the case with him? He's pocket-protector geek punctual."

"Well, things happen sometimes, you know?" Jackson added.

Lorelai continued. "All I had time for was a cup of coffee. No breakfast whatsoever. And what's worse is I told him that I had an early meeting. Told him the time, place, even what I was planning to wear. He knows I'm not at my best if I don't eat, but did he care?"

"She's feeling unloved," Rory explained. "Has major issues with Luke's new hobby."

"Hobby?" asked Sookie. "What's his hobby?"

"Sara Clayton," Rory answered casually.

"He's coming back out," Lorelai revealed. All heads turned. Luke emerged from his diner holding something to his head that made Lorelai squint. She was sure she was seeing things. "He has a cell! Is that a cell phone?"

"It's a cell phone," Sookie confirmed.

"Looks like a box cutter to me."

"Why would he be holding a box cutter to his ear, Jackson?"

"It's more believable than a cell phone, considering who we're talking about!" he defended to his wife.

"He's going back to his truck," Rory commented. "Is he leaving again?"

"He better not be leaving again," Lorelai exclaimed in shock. "He just got back!"

"Maybe he forgot something," Jackson offered.

Lorelai responded with dissatisfaction. "What could he have possibly forgotten? He has his hat; his flannel is snug and in place; his keys were in his hand; his brand new fancy cell phone is what he's talking on to _God knows who_. What's left?"

They all watched as he opened the door and leaned inside. He searched around for a bit, reached under the seat, and only then did he reemerge. He turned to face them and unknowingly gave them a nice view of the bag he held as he pushed the door closed with his elbow.

Sookie laughed.

Jackson muttered, "Hm."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Of course. How could he leave behind his cute little pink bag that looks like it came from Victoria's Secret? How the hell could I forget to mention that?"

Rory smiled only a little at her mom's joke-buried distress. "It's a gift bag, Mom."

"It's a Victoria's Secret bag, Rory. You wouldn't know because you're still my baby, and I'll continue to buy you underoos in packs of five as long as I can get away with it. But that bag was lady-wear. No doubt about it."

"Looked like a gift bag to me, too, Lorelai," Sookie said in agreement with Rory.

"Kinda looked that way to me too," Jackson said lastly. "I mean, it was more of a solid pink, and the bag you're talking about has a kind of-" He stopped when he noticed all three ladies staring at him. He turned red. "Uh…I vote gift bag."

Lorelai shrugged like what they had come to agreement on hardly mattered. "No matter what kind of bag it was, it wasn't his. Pink bags aren't exactly Luke's style."

"That's true…" Jackson reluctantly helped to establish.

Sookie gave him a look, and he shrugged.

"What is going on with him?" Lorelai blurted. "Next week this time, he won't even remember my—remember everybody's," she corrected. "name! He'll be completely wrapped up in whatever side thing he's got going on, causing him to forget about the town."

Rory sighed. "You want to go over and invite him out? I'm sure he'll say no and tell you to go away, giving you the attention you're used to," she sympathized.

Lorelai shook her head. "Maybe later," she replied, suddenly sullen. "He's on the phone anyway."

Sookie attempted to sound cheerful. "Well, it's okay. We'll walk a little bit more then swing back by on our way to the table. I'm sure he'll be off by then."

"Yeah, Mom." Rory playfully proclaimed, "We're not going to let this Sara Clayton make Luke turn his back on us without a fight. We'll hunt her down if we have to."

"Yeah," agreed Sookie.

"We will?" Jackson asked adversely. After receiving harsh looks from both Rory and Sookie, he stuttered out a, "I-I-I mean…we _will_!"

Lorelai laughed weakly at that. "My circle of trust isn't very big," she admitted. "There's you guys…" She rolled her eyes and waved towards the diner. "And then there's Mr. Busy Relationship guy over there who can't sit still long enough to even have a conversation these days."

"It'll get better," Sookie said with certainty. "Beginning of relationships is always taxing. You stretch yourself thin, and time set aside for friends become less and less. He'll be back to normal before you know it, though."

"Yeah, I guess so," Lorelai acknowledged lowly. "If _Sara Clayton_ allows it, that is."

"Sara Clayton," she parroted. "Ya know, I can't place that name, but I am _sure_ that I've heard it before!" Sookie said to the group, suddenly sidestepping Lorelai's concern.

Rory put her arm around her mom's shoulders. "What do you say we go try to sneak Kirk some of those beans now? I just saw Taylor walking towards a Porta-Potty."

Lorelai smiled slowly and soon had a full devilish grin in place. "Let's make it quick so we don't get caught."

They all turned back the way they'd come.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Lorelai walked into the diner and sat down at the counter quietly.

Luke turned a few seconds later and noticed her. "Hey. When'd you get here?"

"If I say five minutes ago, would you believe me?"

He poured her some coffee. "Well, I'm guessing I would've noticed it if you were here that long," he replied.

"Aha! You guess you would've noticed me, but you don't _know_!"

He rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'm officially exiting this conversation."

"Can't take the heat?"

He pushed her mug to her. "Why does everything I say to you these days seem to turn into an argument?"

She sighed. "I found a new color to paint my bathroom. I think I'm going with more of a Lily Lavender. Unfortunately, I don't start getting a feel for how it'll be until most of the area's painted, so this could be a long, long process. Lily Lavender's looking promising, though."

Luke didn't comment on the easy and convenient change in subject. "Guess that means I'll be clearing my schedule sometime soon, then," he said dutifully.

She took a sip from her cup. "No. I'm doing it. Alone."

"By yourself?" he asked almost amusedly.

"Last time I checked, that's what _alone_ meant."

He frowned. "Hey, what's with that attitude? You don't want me there?"

"Well, I'm sure you have other things to do, so you can spend time on those other things, and I'll handle my own painting job. I think I'm capable."

"Well, fine. I was just trying to help." He turned his slighted eyes from her face to her finger. "Paper cut?" he asked of the forefinger covered in a band-aid.

She looked at it. "No, I got electrocuted."

His eyes widened. "You got what?"

A part of her was very pleased to have him take notice of something so tiny. Enough to ask about it. She supposed it'd take him a bit longer than a week to start forgetting her name. "Tried to plug something into that old socket in my bedroom, and it shocked me. Felt this weird current in my hand for a minute."

"That's not electrocution, Lorelai," he said with mild relief. "But it's still dangerous. Think it's about time to replace that thing." He took on a look of confusion. "Why did you put a band-aid over your finger?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. What good is a war wound if no one knows it happened?"

"Since when is plugging in a battery charger a war wound?" he asked dryly.

She smiled. "How'd you know that's what it was?"

"Because that's all you ever used to plug in there. And I told you to stop using that socket until I looked at it. Told you that a long time ago," he scolded.

"I know, I know. But you never got around to it," she said harmoniously. "You were barely able to fix the things I _needed_ fixed. Because of this place." She paused, looked at him. "And now, you have other…things to keep you busy, so your free time is even scarcer."

He looked confused momentarily. Let it go without speaking about it. "Let me worry about my free time. If you need something, I'm here. Is that why you're acting weird about the stupid bathroom that you can't make your mind up about?" he ended with derision toward the project.

"No," she said with a blatant pout.

"Lorelai."

She looked up at him. "I want you to help me, but I need you to be on time. And _want_ to be there."

He paused. "I don't know why I should want to be there _painting a bathroom_, but whatever. Sure."

"You'll be there on time?"

"I'll try," he told her.

Her sad eyes bored into his, and she asked her question while looking dejected and sounding sincere, "Why are you so busy now?"

He shrugged. "I'm not," he answered easily. She looked down. "Just got all these errands to run and stuff, and eventually I'm gonna get around to hiring somebody else in here because this place kills me sometimes. But other than that, everything's everything." He bent his head and tried to catch her eye. 'Hey, are you still mad?" He smiled a little. "Or whatever you were when you came in here…_twirling_ your neck."

She looked up to find him smiling warmly. She took a deep breath and regarded him with her head tilted. "Just try to be on time, Luke. Please."

His smile faded and he looked lost at her somber tone. "Okay…"

She twirled her mug, gave him a look of uncertainty. "Tomorrow afternoon okay? Around two?"

He thought. "Uuum…two…_thirty_? Is that okay?" he asked reluctantly. He got the strong feeling that he was being tested, counted on; that Lorelai was taking this way more seriously than he knew. "I should be back here around two-fifteen, so two-thirty shouldn't be a problem at all."

"You're going to be out again?"

He nodded. "But I'll be back at two-fifteen definitely."

She accepted that. "Okay." Smiled. "My house, two-thirty. Wear something old."

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

'_We're not available to answer. Right, Honey?' From the background: 'RIGHT!' 'See. We're available now, but we won't be when you hear this. Wait for the beep and speak.'_ Beep.

"Hey, Lorelai. Luke. I know it's going on three. I'm two minutes from your house. On the plus side, though, I think I almost hit Taylor. Yeeep, I see him waving his fist in my rearview. Oh, this is definitely a good day. See you in a bit."

Lorelai ran down the stairs just as Luke's message ended. She grabbed the phone but only got a dial tone.

"Drats." She hung up and sprung up the stairs again.

The doorbell sounded a short time later. She screamed as loud as she could and hoped that he could hear her. "Come in!"

Luke came inside and looked around. "Lorelai?"

"Upstairs! Come up!"

He did. He looked in the bathroom as he passed by and then peeked into her bedroom. "Lorelai?"

"Over here."

He came inside and saw her sitting Indian-style on the floor next to her dresser. "What are you doing?"

She was leaned forward giving close attention the work she did. "Coloring in these scratches." She leaned back to admire the job she'd just done. "This dresser was pretty old when I got it anyway, but the movers roughed it up some when they moved it up here. Never really thought much of it, but I was in the hardware store earlier, and I saw these wood marker things. Figured why not?"

He sat on the edge of the armchair next to her bed. "Is it doing the job?"

"Doesn't look too shabby."

He nodded. "Want me to gloss it over for you? Make it look a little newer?"

"Nah, that's okay," she answered quietly. She leaned in and started doing another area. "Thanks, though."

He watched her work for a few seconds, responded to her quiet. "I called."

"I know."

"Called at 2:25, at 2:37, 2:42, 2:48, and then at 2:56."

She smiled, kept working. "Your cell phone tell you that?"

"Yeah, you can see the, um…" He motioned like he had it in his hand, "times and everything on it. So…that's how I knew."

She glanced at him, smiled wider at his unneeded but incredibly genuine explanation. "I got your calls, Luke. Thanks for calling to tell me you were running late. I really appreciate that."

Luke sat on that silence for only a little while. "You're kinda cordial," he noted. "Which means you're mad or you're not saying something you want to say or maybe that you're….I don't know. Would help if you told me, though."

"I'm just tired."

"Sleepy?" he asked considerately.

She stopped. Took a breath. "No, not sleepy." She rubbed her eyes lightly. "I'm just, um…adjusting." She looked at him with that. Went back to marking.

"Adjusting to what?" he asked, ignoring the clear indication that she wasn't feeling very chatty.

She took a moment before responding. "To everything. Just to how things are, how they'll be. To…_everything_." She kept working. "I'm kind of starting to see that I'm probably a little…spoiled, you know?" She smiled sadly to herself. "Unfortunately, can't do much to fix that overnight, so for a while, it's just gonna be me…adjusting."

He stared at her in concern. "I d-don't really know what you're talking about."

She lowered the marker and slowly put the top back on. She turned eyes to him and looked at him for a long moment without speaking. When she did, she spoke softly. Adoringly.

"You're a really good person. A decent…_great_ man. And you're there for me when I need you. What I've done is taken that and turned it into something obligatory, and I had no right to do that. I mean, I depend on you…which I guess is okay, but then I get angry at you if for some reason you don't come through. I don't do that to my friends. I don't do it to Sookie or Jackson or Rory or any other person in this town, but I do it to you. And I don't know why. It almost feels like I expect more from you…or I-I need more, or…I don't know, but either way, it has to stop. Here you are going out and living your life, which you have _every right in the world_ to do, and I'm upset because you're not there for me when I call." She shook her head. "I don't have a right to wonder what you're doing when you don't answer the phone when I call you. I don't have the right to grill you in any way about your plans or anything. That's not okay. I just need to...be better, you know? And I'm going to."

Luke didn't say anything at first. He just stared back at her. Then at the floor. "Adjustment," he recalled quietly.

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to be doing a lot of that." She swallowed. "You have your life, and I _will_ respect that more."

Luke leaned on his knees, looked over at her more closely. "When have I not answered the phone?" he asked.

"You always have," she said softly. "You're really good that way. Kinda the reason why I'm spoiled," she added lightheartedly. She slid her fingers under the curtain of hair near her ear. Closed her eyes briefly and then opened them. "It's just lately…you know…you're out with your girlfriend…and I just haven't been handling that too well."

Luke's facial expression went through a rainbow of changes. "Girlfriend…"

She nodded uneasily. "Sara Clayton."

He looked at her intently, spoke with puzzlement. "I don't…have a girlfriend."

Lorelai's brows lifted. "Oh. Well. I never took you for a, um, _booty call _type of guy, but if that's what-"

"I'm not a boo—I'm..I'm not a…_that_," he disputed quickly.

Lorelai shifted her gaze. "But you're sleeping with her," she stated quietly.

He frowned. "I _am_?"

"Aren't you?"

He rolled his eyes and sat up a little. "Sara Clayton is Rachel's little sister. I've known her forever. Her husband just recently left her high and dry. Took the car, half the furniture, and left her with nothing but her two kids and a big stack of bills." He watched understanding come across Lorelai's face, and he went on. "I've been helping her out. Been helping her with the kids. Basketball practice, ballet, helping her get packed and moved from her house to her aunt's two counties over. Errands, just being there to talk when she needs it. All kinds of stuff." He squinted. "You thought I was _sleeping with_ Sara?"

Lorelai was immediately embarrassed. "Well, I didn't know who she was. You never told me anything other than her name. And she looked like your type."

He shuddered at the thought of being intimate with his ex's little sister. "She looks like Rachel."

"That's probably why she looked like your type!" she said laughingly, still with embarrassment.

"Jeez, Lorelai."

"Sorry! But I kept seeing you with her! You had a gift for her in a pink bag. I mean, I thought that's where you were when you opened the diner late."

He sighed. Didn't bother asking her how she knew about a pink bag. Just accepted that it was Lorelai. "She'd been in my truck and left that bag. She called me and asked if it was in there, and I got it and held it for her. And as for opening late, I was at her aunt's house the night before. It got late and I fell asleep in the den on the couch. I overslept and woke up to her four year old hitting me in the head with a slipper."

Lorelai laughed. "Oh my god."

He shook his head. "Me and Sara. Rachel will definitely get a good laugh off of something like that."

Lorelai settled down, scanned his features. "Rachel's here?"

He nodded. "Yeah, she's been in town for about a week. Been keeping a pretty low profile."

"The lowest," she followed distractedly. "Heard nothing about it in the gossip mill."

"She looks like a spy walking around whenever she's out. Glasses, hat, baggy clothes. You'd think she was a celebrity or something." He smiled. "She lived here long enough to know what works, though."

"Are you…sleeping with _her_?"

His smile disappeared. "You know, I didn't really know what you meant before with the whole inappropriate questioning thing you promised to work on. But now, I do. And no offense, but you need to work on it a little harder."

She looked down at the marker in her hand.

Luke went on after only a beat of silence. "And no, I'm not sleeping with her. She's an ex, and that's what she'll stay."

Her eyes stayed low. She nodded, signifying she'd heard him.

"Um…what I said before…that whole speech, I said that when I thought you were in a certain circumstance…"

"Dating Sara?"

"Yeah. I meant it. I really did. Even though this situation is totally different than what I thought, eventually, you're going to start seeing someone, and I'm going to have to accept that things will be different. That things need to start _being_ different now."

"Why different?" he asked patiently.

She looked up, met his eyes. "You know why."

He leaned forward on the armchair again. "No, I don't."

She sighed, did away with caution, if only for a moment. "You're my friend, Luke, and I treat you like you have a greater role at times. All of the responsibility of that role. And…nothing else." She gave him a look that told him he should get the subtext.

He didn't react. She thought he would. _Some_ kind of way.

"I don't mind doing things for you, Lorelai."

"I know that. But I lean on you so much and depend on you like crazy and if you don't come through, it just…it d-doesn't feel like it was a _friend_ who let me down," she said outright.

He kept his eyes on her as silence filled the room. Lorelai sighed. Figured there wasn't much chance of saving face at that point. She decided to be completely honest.

"It hurts." She paused. "It really does. The smallest letdown hurts when it's coming from you." Luke's breaths got shallow. She continued. "I really need to do some fine-tuning on my end because this isn't the way it's supposed to be. Something needs to change. And soon."

He nodded distantly. "That's probably for the best."

"I know," she agreed despondently. She brought her lips in and took a breath as she looked to the dresser, admiring her work, which she couldn't have cared less about at that point. "I don't even know where to start," she revealed quietly. "How do you make yourself not care?" she questioned in a near whisper.

She turned her head in Luke's direction when she heard sounds that signified a change in position. Her eyes went higher when she found him standing and walking nearer to her.

He lowered himself to the floor just off to the side of her, and she continued to look into his eyes. "What are you doing?" she asked him faintly.

He stared at her. "I see the need for change, but I don't agree on the one you're trying to make."

She looked down at his thigh touching hers. Felt butterflies in her stomach. But she still told him how it had to be. "Luke, when you start dating a different girl—a real one—I _can't_ feel like this. What do you suggest if my way is wrong?"

"I told you," he said quietly. "Just a different kind of change."

Lorelai gasped, whispered his name, and watched with wide, stunned eyes as he leaned his face toward hers. Luke stuck to his guns, made it within inches of her lips and felt relief when she remained in place instead of pulling away.

He closed the gap. Pressed a firm, tender kiss to lips that were soft and warm. Electricity coursed through his veins. He heard her release a tiny breath. He pulled back and kissed her again. Felt her hand touch his forearm and run lightly to his bicep. He pulled back again, and they met at the same time. He finally touched her. Placed his hands on either side of her stomach when she crawled out of her Indian-style position and got on her knees, the same as him.

They kissed. Both all in.

Luke pulled her to him and held her close to his chest. He touched, explored. Fought his body's natural reaction as she took to doing the same. When he moved his lips and teeth to her neck, Lorelai mainly breathed. Heavy, deep, satisfying breaths accompanied with moans that he'd only dreamed would come from her. He didn't know where they'd take it. Knew how much he wanted her, but he didn't want to rush her.

She was there, pressed tightly to him, and so she felt his excitement when it came. It was she who first encouraged them to stand and he who began to lead them to her queen-sized, fully covered bed. They grinded and caressed like horny teenagers on top of Lorelai's fancy decorative pillows.

Lorelai's level of passion left Luke barely able to get through that abbreviated foreplay session without release.

They got stark naked and had garments on every area of the bed. The excitement and anticipation of that final act led them to rush and skip the formality and beauty of watching a lover strip.

Lorelai lay at an angle on the bed, hugging Luke's body to her. He guided his erection inside and moaned deeply when her body played perfect and ever most gracious host.

His full depth came slowly. Inch by inch, she accepted him.

Was asked at that point if she was okay. He asked that as he pulled back and pushed in. Got four more long, wonderful strokes in before Lorelai found her tongue, arrived at an answer.

She said yes.

Yes to answer his question and yes to encourage him not to stop. He plunged deep and had her moaning in ways that suggested high levels of bliss. His mouth went to her nipple and he sucked as he penetrated. Licked and lightly nibbled around her areola.

The tingle came sooner than he was used to. He grunted and fought to hold back. He looked at her beautiful face and saw her tense. Saw her steady and ready herself for what was on the horizon. He pushed in deeper, faster. Made her face contort in unadulterated pleasure as she found release. Her orgasm turned her happy cove into an even happier one for him. He let go. Followed close behind her, and they spasmed together with force that nearly took them out of position.

Luke kissed her. Made her kiss him back. He moved enough to get himself hard again. Worked his length in and out of her until she came again. He pulled out. Prepared himself to give them both a break. Lorelai reached down and put him back inside. She took top position and did the work. She slowed the ride down on orgasm number three and kissed Luke deeply as his seed shot into her in what seemed like an endless climax.

They fell apart.

Laid on their backs as they gave each other breathing room, air, and time to focus lazy, post-coital eyes.

Luke was the first to look over. He stared at her profile for only a couple seconds before she turned and met his eyes. He smiled when she did.

"Looks promising," he said of her delight.

She gave his comment its own smile. Said quietly, "You're smiling, too. Good, right?"

"I'm way past good." He paused. "Just hoping for good thoughts on your end."

"They're there," she answered intimately.

"Really?"

"Well, that would've put a smile on any woman's face. But aside from that, I'm pretty…happy."

He nodded with instant agreement. "Very glad to hear you say that."

She smiled. "Nice adjustment you made for us. I think I like this one a lot better."

"Good," he said softly.

"I vote we keep it going."

He smiled. Repeated, "good."

She moved over to him. He welcomed her into the crook of his arm. "I mean not just this part," she said softly as she rubbed over his chest. She looked up at him. "The whole kit and kaboodle."

"Don't worry," he whispered. "I want it all."

She moved in, kissed his lips. The phone rang, and Lorelai moaned her displeasure as she pulled away. "Nooo."

Luke smiled. "Hey, remind me to give you my cell number," he recalled.

"Oh, definitely," she responded. When reaching blindly on her side didn't do anything for locating the ringing phone, she sighed tiredly. "Where's it at, Babe?"

Luke looked up and spotted the cordless on his side. He passed it to her with a kiss to her forehead. "Bathroom. Be back."

She nodded. She placed her hand on his back and watched it moved down his body as he climbed from the bed. She clicked on the phone while watching him walk away. "Hello?"

"Lorelai!"

"Hey, Sook. Why so squeaky?"

"I have great news! Well, it's probably just regular news for everybody else, but it's great news for you!"

Lorelai smiled at the shrill, happy tone of her voice. "Okay, give it to me."

"I finally figured out where I know Sara Clayton from!" she exclaimed. "High school! She's Rachel's sister! And before you start getting all kinds of crazy ideas that Luke may be moving through the family or something, just know that him and Sara were like him and Liz. They were close, but not like you and Luke kinda close where there's all kinds of underlying attraction. No, none of that! They really were like siblings! Isn't that great?"

Lorelai's smile spread wider, and she decided to let Sookie have her moment. "Wow, Sookie. That _is_ great. Guess Luke's still on the market."

"He sure is!" She calmed down, but Lorelai knew her well enough to know she was still giving those dimples of hers plenty shine time. "If I would've had a picture or a description to go by, I could've told you sooner. And her last name threw me off too. She turned Clayton only a few years ago." She sighed as Davey started crying his little heart out. "Oh boy, you know what that means."

"Yeah, been there, done that. Go whip out lunch. Thanks for the call, Babe."

"No problem. So, if you get the sudden urge to _go get your man_," she said playfully, "He's there for the taking."

Lorelai got to admire Luke's front as he walked back to the bed. "I'll _definitely_ give it some thought, Sook." She winked at Luke as he lay back down and looked at her. "Seems to be about that time anyway."

"Really?" Sookie squealed.

Lorelai laughed. "Go feed that son of yours. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, but we're talking more about this! Don't think I'm going to forget what you just said!"

"I wouldn't dare let you. _Bye_."

"Bye."

Lorelai dropped the phone to the mattress and threw her arms across Luke's chest in a dramatic gesture. She held on tight. He chuckled and rubbed her back.

"So, what was that all about?"

"Sookie called and told me to go get my man. Consider yourself got, mister."

He stared down at her upper body spread over his. He shook his head. "You don't hear me complaining," he responded with a broad smile.

**-The End-**

Hope you enjoyed the read.  
Review, please! :)


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